Greek deputy foreign minister, Yannos Kranidiotis, was one of six passengers who lost their lives on September 14, when a Falcon 900 plunged thousands of feet on a flight from Athens to Bucharest, Romania. Among those killed were Kranidiotis' son Nikos, Greek journalists Dimitris Pantazopoulos and Nina Asimakopouluo, the minister's bodyguard Nikos Asimakopoulos and flight engineer Michalis Papadopoulos, all of whom were not wearing seatbelts. \rOnce the crew regained control, the aircraft was able to land safely at Bucharest's Otopeni airport where Kranidiotis had been due to attend a meeting on Balkan co-operation. Seven other passengers on-board the aircraft survived including Greek journalist, Alfonso Vitalis, who reportedly said Kranidiotis was out of his seat briefing journalists when the aircraft suddenly lost altitude.\r The aircraft suffered no external damage and experts are as yet uncertain if it was severe turbulence or an aircraft malfunction which caused the free fall. When Otopeni's chief inspector, Nelu Pene, boarded the jet he reportedly observed: "There was a lot of luggage and catering things strewn about. When I entered I saw bodies lying in strange positions."\rPrime Minister, Costas Simitis, wants the investigation to go "as high as it needs to" to ascertain what happened, according to government spokesman, Dimitris Reppas. Simitis has asked for an inquiry into the management of Olympic Airways which maintains the aircraft. It is reported that a team of Greek and Romanian civil aviation and air force experts will be conducting the investigation and will call on other countries for assistance, if necessary.\r There are differing reports about exactly what happened. Greek flag carrier Olympic Airways issued a statement saying the jet suddenly lost altitude when flying at 15,000 feet, though some reports say that the Falcon jet was flying at FL230 when it went into free fall, losing 19,000 feet in less than five minutes. Greek leaders have been paying tribute to Kranidiotis, describing him as "the architect of the recently launched dialogue between Greece and Turkey."